I have been to Italy twice. My best advise is to do drive it. There is a lot more to see the more you drive. The first time I flew into Rome, where I had a car reserved. I spent two days in Rome and drove down to Naples stopping all along the way. I went as far as Serrano and from their drove north/east to Barri and Bredensi. There I dropped the car and I picked up a ferry and went to Kerkira, Greece for more site seeing. Greece has both sights and wild parties in the summer. I flew back from Greece. Ferries run every day in the summer and you can find hotels as you go.

The second time I flew into Paris. I set it up as a continuing flight to Italy with a two day stop over in Paris. It only added and extra $100 to the ticket so its worth it. You can use the subway in Paris right from the airport to see the city. From there I flew to Florence and picked up a car. I spent two days there. I drove my way to Venice stopping all along the way. I spent a night in Venice and then continued to Milan where I spent Two days in that city. Once you get to Milan, park your car by the hotel and use the subway system. Just use your car to drive you to the airport and fly out from there. From Italy I flew to Athens and started Island hopping with the ferries through the Aegean. I flew back from Greece.

The museum you will want to see above all is in Milan. It is Sfosensco Castle. It has a nice armory inside. I don't know what you budget is, but I do not recommend you just go to Florence and just stay there. At the very least I recommend you drive Florence, Venice, Milan. Here are some pictures of places you will see along that drive:

It is extremely far from Florence. Alpine road in teh last tract after Bozen, almost to the boundary with Switzerland / Austria.

He will be spending half his holidays on squalid and costly motorways, the he would have to sneak his way through the Alps, beautiful but quite time consuming: i'm far closer than a florentine but I hesitate going there as the mountain tract is an hurdle.

Suggestions: Bargello and Stibbert in Florence, than either down to Rome (Castel Sant'Angelo) or northward to Turin (Armeria Reale) or Milan-Brescia (close towns, Castello Sforzesco and Marzoli in Brescia). Such towns are served directly by the motorway A4.

Maybe then Venice (Armeria del doge) in the latter case, a bit more of A4 motorway but Venice is Venice.

I would like to thank everyone who responded to my query about Florence. It is, for me, fairly amazing that, from California, I can ask for ideas and I immediately get responses from people in China, Alabama, Germany, Italy, and elsewhere.

Sam N. and Sean Flynt, thanks for suggesting the Museo Stibbert. Previously, I didn’t know about it. After further investigation, including the later posting that Sean put up, I will go there for sure. Sam, we will be in Florence the same time as you will be

Vassilis Tsafatinos urged us to rent a car, and my wife is in agreement and is looking into this. We have friends in Florence, so staying there wouldn’t be an economic issue, but the idea of driving around is very attractive. And thanks for the photos, which inspired us and which we really enjoyed.

Sabine Benning and Felix R., you have reminded me of a long time desire to visit Tyrol. I have often heard sung the pretty song, “Tirol, Tirol, Tirol, Du bist mein Heimatlan; Weit über Berg und Tal Das Alphorn schallt.”

And Bruno Giordan, you truly answered the question. We are already looking into how to get to Turin. Thank you.

Felix is going to Bozen/Meran, not to Florence. So I think, he would not spent to much time on the road… It's a nice landscape

Hi Felx,

you know the Churburg. Impressing photo. Well, I am sure, they would not be glad to have anything really “new”….

All right, they do not enhance the collection, only preserve. A lot of collections are managed in this way.

I guess also the amazing Stibbert, which is preserved in the mind of Frederick Stibbert . Not only an armoury, as well an impression of the world of 19th century historism. Also my referral for visitors of Florence or Toskana.

By the way, in this case unfortunately not in Italy, but in Bavaria, there is a new and rare exhibit.

“Armeemuseum Ingolstadt” acquired from Auctionhouse Hermann Historica in Munich a “Plattenrock”, which was found at Castle Hirschstein, near Passavia. See online http://www.hermann-historica.de,

Recent auctions, 52., Armour, Lot 3641.

So if you ever visit Bavaria in Germany, go to “Armeemuseum Ingolstadt”. Not only the "Plattenrock" is impressive...

The cool thing about doing the Florence, Venice, Milan drive is that you will be stopping every 30 - 40 minutes to see some town. So it is not a boring drive at all. Each town has some Roman or Renaissance related ruins or castles. If you can also go to Ravena. It is slightly out of the way.No athlete/youth can fight tenaciously who has never received any blows: he must see his blood flow and hear his teeth crack... then he will be ready for battle.
Roger of Hoveden, 1174-1201
www.poconoshooting.comwww.poconogym.com

The cool thing about doing the Florence, Venice, Milan drive is that you will be stopping every 30 - 40 minutes to see some town. So it is not a boring drive at all. Each town has some Roman or Renaissance related ruins or castles. If you can also go to Ravena. It is slightly out of the way.

Passing through the A4 motorway, Venice direction, one has at the left the walled medieval town of San Bonifacio, with good walls and a castle topping the hill. Worth stopping even if not famous at all.

Montorio, a few kms north of Verona, has a nice castle, under restoration now.

Going to Bozen-Schludern one should stop at Trento and see the Buon Consiglio castle, a renaissance marvel, with first class frescoes by Girolamo Romani. Then another stop in Rovereto's war museum, again few kms from the motorway.

First, it's a great museum for arms and armor. The armory in Milan (Castel Sforza) is good, but this is much larger and diverse.

Best way to get there is take the Number 4 bus (if your near the train station, it stops just outside the station), get off at the Gaia bustop and follow the signs up the hill to the Museo (to the left and up Via Stibbert). It's about a 8 min bus ride.

It's closed on Thursday, and if you want to see the Japanese collection, you have to get there after 3pm (for some reason it's not part of the tour before 3pm).

In addition to the armory, there is an extensive china and clothing collection (meh...). Your wife might like it

Tour takes about an hour and is in done in groups (on the hour, as people show up at the ticket office. You could spend a week there, but they move you through as a group Cost is 6 euro). Ticket office is now around the back of the Museo, next to the bookstore/cafe. They have some good books and DVDs in the bookstore for purchase.

No photos allowed, but I have been allowed before when it was just me and one other person in the tour, with no flash of course. So you could ask...

Also, the Bargello is supposed to have an arms room, but it was always closed when I went there.

Also, a great small museum in Florence is the Museum of Misery and Torture on Via Faenza (near San Lorenzo and the open market. This is a household from the 14th century and completely describes life for a peasant in medieval Florence. Crime, punishment, food, sanitary conditions are reproduced to a too real experience.

And I also recommend the Secret Passages Tour in the Palazzo Vecchio, ending with a private audience with Duke Cosimo I and his wife. Real cool.

And, most importantly, you MUST try the Bistecca alla Florentina. Best steak in the world...

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